Combustion of fuel



E. J.- BROOKS. Combustion of Fuel.

No. 225,793. Patented Mar. 23, 1880.

NPEIERS, PHOTD-UTHOGR-APHER, WASIHNGTON. n. C.

NITED STA rns PATENT EMERY J. BROOKS, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBUSTION OF FUEL.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,793, dated March 23,1880.

-App1icati0n filed November 10, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERY J. BROOKS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Preventing the Formation of Smoke in the Combustion of Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so burn bituminous coal or other smoke-producing fuel that the formation of smoke will be prevented or materially modified and a more effective combustion of the fuel insured. This object I attain by combining with the fire-box of a furnace a roasting-chamber inaccessible to the products of combustion, and having a movable bottom plate, whereby the fuel may be subjected to a preliminary roasting operation to drive off the volatile gases, and, when coked, may be readily dumped onto the mass of incandescent fuel in the furnace, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of part of a boiler of the locomotive type having a furnace constructed for carrying out my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same on the line 1 2, and Fig. 3 a view of a modification.

In the ordinary manner of burning fuel the volatile gases are evolved so rapidly that they absorb the heat from the incandescent carbon and prevent the entire combustion of the latter, thereby leaving a portion of the carbon free in the form of smoke.

The aim of my invention is to prevent as far as possible the liberation of such free carbon, which, being in the amorphous state, is practically incombustible at ordinary furnace temperatures.

In the drawings, A represents part of the shell of the boiler; B, the usual flue-tubes; D, the main grate, and E the ordinary fire-door. Across the upper portion of the fire-box, at a distance from the tube-sheet a, extends a water-space'partition, F, which serves to divide said upper portion of the fire-box into two chambers, I and J, the former communicating with the main combustion-chamber K through a passage, 1), and the chamber J being separatedfromthe said combustion-chamber K by a plate, 01, which is pivoted in the center and can be rotated from outside theboiler by means of a crank, f, or by any other suitable means. An automatic device operating at proper intervals may, for instance, be employed. Access to the chamber J is afforded by means of an opening, 0, and communication between the cham' hers I and J is afforded by means of a series of tubes, g, passing through the hollow partition F. Air gains access to the chamber I through lateral openings m, which may, if desired, he provided with suitable dampers or valves, whereby the entrance of air can be regulated.

The operation of the furnace is as follows The fuel upon the grate D being kindled, the chamber J is partially filled with fuel and the opening 0 closed. The heat from the products of combustion in the chamber K causes the evolution of the volatile gases from the fuel in the chamber J these gases passing through the tubes g into the chamber I, where they mingle with the heated products of combustion from the chamber K, and are ignited thereby prior to passing through the flues B. The lateral openings m supply the proper amount of air to the chamber I in order to effect this combustion of the gases. When the volatile gases have all been driven off from the fuel in the chamber J by the roasting process to which said fuel has been subjected, the plate d is turned so as to dump the fuel (now in the form of coke) onto the mass of fuel on the main grate D, the plate 01 being then restored to its original position and a fresh supply of fuel introduced into the chamber J, from which, after being roasted, as above described, it is dumped onto the mass of fuel below, the latter being thus constantly sup plied with coked fuel.

By thus subjecting the fresh fuel to a preliminary roasting operation, so that the volatile gases are evolved therefrom and combined with the heated products of combustion at a point remote from the surface of the incandes cent fuel in the combustion-chamber, theliberation of free carbon in an amorphous state cam not take place, and the formation of smoke is thereby prevented.

It is important in carrying out my invention that the fuel which is being roasted shall be preserved from direct contact with the products of combustion otherwise said fuel will become ignited, and the object which I am aiming at will be frustrated.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified construction of furnace, in which the chamber J is contracted at the bottom and the partition F so constructed as to leave a passage at the top for the gases from said chamber J I claim-as my invent1on- 1. The combination of the fire-box of a furnace with a roasting-chamber located in the upper portion of the main fire-chamber, and constructed, as described, so as to prevent the "access of the products of combustion thereto,

but provided with a movable bottom plate, 

